Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-29
" WHAR" DID THEY CONE FROM ,
An Interesting Fish Story, Showing the
Productiveness of Our Soil.

An Interesting Fish Story, Showing the
Productiveness of Our Soil.
1t is said that no matter how truthful a
man is, no matter if his word is as good as
! his bond, when he comes to relate fishing
exploits his statements are regarded with
suspicion 1t has come to be looked upon
as perfectly justifable for any man to lie
about the number of fish he has hooked,
| and no matter how many he buys from the
professional fisherman, he is expected to
! swear by all that's great and holy that he
caught them ell, and could have caught
| great many more had not his bait run out.
| When we hear of the immense success of
| our local Izaak Waltons that angle in the
muddy Sacramento, no one disputes them,
| for on such occasions they are regarded as
! privileged liars, However, we occasionally
| run across
a FISH STORY
From . most reliable source, and so strange
and apparently impossible that We are con
strained 10 stop and investigate. Such an
one was rei3ted IN this office Yesterday.
The truth of the statement cannot be gain
said. and The facts are such that the natur-
alst no doubt will find it quite difficult TO
explain.
/. !. ! l)h d. v llO iOSLtANo at 4-D- -
street. most estimable gentleman, states
that some months since, being an invalid,
he went 10 Sierra Valley for the benefit of
his health. Near the north end OF this
valley. which lies in 10th Plumas and ST.
ezra counties, resides farmer by the name
Of Hathaway. In July last Mr. Hathaway
concluded to sink an artesian well and did
So. At the depth Of little over 800 feet he
struck a strong vein of water and the well
Immediately began to flow at the rate of
200 gallons per minute. Strange as 1t may
appear, the water is so hot that
IT BoILs AN EGG
In seven minutes, scalds the hands, and
the steam that rises from this seething,
boiling spring is observable for many
miles. 1t may be supposed that Mr..
Hathaway was disappointed in this boiling
well. but on the contrary it proves to be a
regular bonanza. The boiling water has
been piped through his house and is used
for heating purposes; it is run into TIE
kitchen and used in cooking and saves an
immense amount of fuel. His barns,
apple houses. cattle sheds, etc, will all be
Kept warm throu ghout the winter, and his
domestic animals will escape the rigors of
the cold spell, which Is of unusual severity
in that altitude. The water when it cools
is soft, pleasant to the taste and very health
luI. ne hdtSI lIOlll lilt wei uldhGS quite
little stream, flows half a mile over the
sandy desert, cools while flowing, forms
little lake several feet in depth and sinks in
the sand. Some weeks ago the children
told Mr.. Hathaway that the little lake was
TEExING WITH FISH.
The father laughed at the little folks talk
ing such nonsense. The children, how
ever, insisted upon the truthfulness of their
statement, and proved their assertion by
going to the lake and taking from its waters
dozen or more little fish exhibited them
in childish triumph to their astoniShed pa
rents Mr.. Flower was boarding with the
Halfway family, and he, with others, went
out to investigate. They found the waters
of the little lake, as the children stated,
full OF little fish, varying in length from
enc to three inches, resembling the mount
ain trout. These fish have grown since, and
from appearances will be, when fully
grown, as large as the common brook front.
Where did they come from ?" was the
question Immediately asked and which no
one so far has been able to answer. 1t is
well-known fact that no trout eggs have
been planted there, as none are obtainable
short of hundred miles, and no one had
even thought Of putting fish in that small
body of water. Some said they
CAME Up THROUGH THE WELL,
But this would seem impossible, as the
water is so hot that some of the little fish
that were put in it where it boils out of the
ground were cooked in five minutes, and
fish eggs would not last even that long.
Mr.. Railways daughter says that a cloud
burst over the valley a few months ago
and the country was deluged with water,
and she holds that the fish were thus in
troduced. This idea, however, is secuted,
for another similar well, stream and pond,
only 300 yards distant, has no fish in it.
Another theory is that many years ago the
Feather river overlooked this section and
the fish eggs, like foul seeds, have been
Icing dormant (?) ever since until brought
to life by the water None of these theories
seem to be correct; at least all are doubted
ana the mystery still remains. "Whar
did they come from p 1t is another evil
der ee of the fruitfulness of our California
soil, and shows what may be expected in
thi; glorious climate.